Synopsis:
WISH LIST
1. The biggest, fanciest house on Sea View Drive.
2. Nike Flyknits.
3. A ski-jump nose.
4. My own car. A new BMW.
5. Be a total pro at the piano.
6. James Odera to like me. Be James Odera’s girlfriend.
7. Get Spencer’s lungs fixed.

Mackenzie Love dreams of being a “lucky one”—someone who has the perfect life. Someone who doesn’t have to worry about money, a sick brother, or her high school status. So when a mysterious visitor offers to make all her wishes come true, Mackenzie jumps at the chance. But the royal lifestyle may cost more than Mackenzie is willing to pay in this modern twist on the classic Cinderella story.
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FACTS ABOUT THE BOOK:

1. There are no literal stepsisters or stepmothers in Chasing Midnight. The Lucky Ones take on that role in their own twisted way. I hope that doesn’t get any hardcore Cinderella fans upset.

2. Fenton’s Creamery, mentioned in the book as Mackenzie’s little brother’s favorite ice cream place, is also mentioned at the end of the movie UP, and is famous for its out-of-this world ice cream and cold caramel sauce, which some people (who shall not be named) might be willing to kill for.

3. Nike Flyknits are tied for the most expensive running shoe Nike makes (at least at the time I wrote Chasing Midnight). They are amazing shoes, and come in super cool colors and tell me you wouldn’t put a pair on your wish list after visiting this Nike page.

4. The initial spark came from one of my favorite movies it seems most people haven’t seen, called “The Family Man,” starring Nicolas Cage. He’s this rich, selfish lawyer in New York who is granted a ‘glimpse’ of what his life would have been like right now had he passed up a big job opportunity and instead stayed home to marry his college sweetheart.

5. I’ve held onto Cale for about 5 years. His initial character lived in a completely different story I wrote in 2012 (one that will never see the light of day). The two good things to come from that shelved novel are lots of writing experience and this character, who seemed to rise from the ashes when every one of his compadres died a slow death inside my computer. Of course he’s evolved since then, but I love how once a character is born, the good ones tend to stick around.

6. Shhhhh. This is a secret. But Mackenzie’s parents are modeled after my teenage kids’ friends’ parents (did you get that?). Almost to a tee. The big family, the healthy smoothies, the laid-back dad, the kind but firm nagging and their messy but homey house. But I don’t think they’ll ever find out. I hope. I’m jealous at how the mom never yells and how the dad will pretty much do anything for his kids…and how close they all are. Because I’m not so great as that.

7. There’s a secret potential couple in Chasing Midnight. But I’m not telling; you’ll have to guess who they might be. They are both modeled and named after my niece, and her fiancé (boyfriend at the time of writing), who is one of the lucky ones. They will hit it off in the never-to-be-written sequel.

8. There really is a Piedmont, California, and it is ranked the 3rd most affluent city in the country by USAToday, with the median home value of $1,000,000. Strangely enough, Piedmont sits right next to Oakland, California, which is ranked one of the most dangerous cities in America. If you ever have a chance to visit the bay area, Piedmont is worth driving through just to blow your mind. And then you can stop at Fenton’s (see #2). I hesitated calling Mackenzie’s town Piedmont because I didn’t want to offend anyone who lives there—because not everyone who’s a lucky one is a jerk (and vice versa).

9. Vinyl Underground started out as a bookstore with a different name, but a record store seemed to fit the story better. Plus, there’s this old-school record store called Rasputin’s right on Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley, CA (a city right across the freeway from Piedmont) that’s been there since 1971 and it’s STILL THERE! Even in the digital age. So in some ways I wanted to pay homage to them. It seemed to fit in with the theme that bigger and newer is not always be better.

10. In Chasing Midnight, Bird Lady is less a fairy godmother (as she has evolved on screen over the years) and more a nod to the original story of Cinderella by The Brothers Grimm. In their story, a bird emerges from the hazel tree Cinderella planted at her mother’s grave, and ‘throws down’ a dress on Cinderella three times.

About the author:

Courtney King Walker grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area building rocket ships and rafts out of cardboard, hoping to make it the moon or at least Niagara Falls. But a trip across the border to Tijuana was as exciting as it ever got, so she decided writing about adventure was the next best thing. She now lives in the Rocky Mountains with her husband and four children, and still dreams of flying to the moon. She is the author of the young adult novel, ON THE FRINGE, and middle grade novel MOLLY PEPPER AND THE NIGHT TRAIN. Her next YA novel, CHASING MIDNIGHT, will be published January 12, 2016 by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media.

Author links:

One winner will receive a signed copy of CHASING MIDNIGHT, a heart clock charm necklace (see image), and $25 gift card!